At Commonweal, Massimo Faggioli points out the limits of subsidiarity in ecclesiology. This is, as he points out, an issue for the discussion of women deacons but even more for the implementation of Amoris Laetitia.

From the file "things are not always what they seem." Our Republican friends have been touting the news that some insurance companies are dropping out of Obamacare exchanges as proof that the law does not work. According to this report at Vox, the reasons Aetna decided to drop out may have less to do with how the exchanges work and more to do with the administration's decision to ban a merger Aetna sought on anti-trust grounds.

Distinctly Catholic: Pope Francis' decision to name Bishop Kevin Farrell to head the new dicastery on family, marriage and the laity is not just good news per se because Bishop Farrell is one of the ablest administrators in the church.

In this morning's Washington Post, they fact check Donald Trump's speech on foreign policy and terrorism yesterday. A lot of Pinocchios for one speech, and all of them have one thing in common: They are the kinds of things you hear repeated over and over on Fox News.

Helen Razer at Daily Review beat me to the punch. The ubiquitous TV ad for Apple features a dreadful poem by Maya Angelou who was, as Razer points out, a great activist but a lousy poet. I got to know Ms. Angelou a bit during my years at Kramerbooks, and while I could not admire her work, I admired her personality, not least the ease with which she ordered and downed a gin and tonic at noon! When she walked into a room, she walked into a room.